Heart & Soul is a compilation album by American blues musician Johnny Adams. Released in 1969 by SSS International, the record was produced by Shelby Singleton and contains much of Adams' 1960s output. Heart & Soul largely blends 1960s gospel, soul, pop, blues, country and funk. "Georgia Morning Dew" has been described as "bouncy country-funk" that provides a "giddy, melancholy counterpart to Adams' throaty proclamations." In 2013, Tucson Weekly called Heart & Soul a collection of Adams' finest work, writing, "As a compilation, Heart & Soul is replete with Adams' astonishingly full-bellied soul—searching and salutatory, dramatic and light—fitting comfortably alongside such classics of the form as Songs in the Key of Life, Going to a Go-Go, What's Going On, and Otis Blue."

Formed in 1974, the group was originally known as Gypsy, performing original material as well as covers. But inspired by the sound of contemporary disco, the New York City-based band Mantus became a favorite among clubgoers at the peak of the disco era. In 1978 they issued their debut single "Turn Around, Boogie Down"; its follow-up, "(Dance It) Freestyle Rhythm," was a major New York radio hit. The quartet's debut LP Midnight Energy appeared in 1979, and the single "Rock It to the Top" became a Top Ten hit on the club charts; a self-titled 1980 follow-up also generated a hit in "Boogie to the Bop," but as disco extinguished.

A cocktail of sultry disco from late night ‘80s Tokyo, compiled by Toshiya Kawasaki for Mule Musiq. “Midnight In Tokyo is a compilation series that aims to be the perfect companion to nights in Tokyo, collecting tracks by Japanese artists that sound best at night. Vol. 2 (STUDIOMUL 006CD/LP, 2018) focused more on '80s jazz fusion, but the latest installment, Vol. 3, picks up where Vol. 1 (STUDIOMUL 001CD/LP, 2018) left off, bringing together forgotten soul, disco, and new wave gems.

The unique sound of Luanda 1965-1978! The nascent Angolan music scene was set on fire by a small group of intrepid singers, backed by an array of super tight bands and led by extraordinary guitarists who revolutionized the musical and the political panorama of the 60s and 70s. A powerful confluence of traditional rhythms from Luanda's islands, psychedelic guitar sounds imported from neighbouring Congo, Latin grooves, old school Caribbean merengue and the hard beat of the angolan carnival bands conspired to create the modern music of Angola. These sounds were immortalized by two excellent recording companies - Fadiang (fábrica de discos angolano) and Valentim de Carvalho.

WOMAD is the World of Music, Arts & Dance (founded by the musician Peter Gabriel in 1982), and WOMADelaide, the Australian WOMAD festival, kicked off in 1992. Over the past 20 years WOMADelaide has become one of the nation's favourite outdoor festivals. WOMAD takes place March 10th-13th at the Botanic Park, Adelaide. Featuring key acts performing at WOMAD such as Archie Roach, Sinkane, The Hot 8 Brass Band and The East Pointers.

Hold On! is the fourth album by the rocking soul man James Hunter and his stalwart sextet. Daptone's Gabriel Roth produced the excellent Minute by Minute in 2013, but this is the band's debut for the label. Hold On! was recorded live in the studio, but Roth and Hunter decided on mono to best capture the immediacy of the performances. The songwriter has recorded only original material since 2006, and these ten tracks are no exception. What separates this date from previous outings – excellent though they all were – isn't the mono production, but the diversity in songwriting, rhythmic invention, and arranging. "This Is Where We Came In" may contain a simmering organ, but doo wop-esque backing vocals from Gregory Lee, Alex Desert, and Malik Moore elevate it (and the two other cuts they appear on) beyond the early pop-soul framework that it comes adorned in. So do the cha-cha rhythms, rhumba fills, and comps from Andrew Kingslow's piano.

“Batsumi” Is A South African Gem Made In The Face of Oppression. During the brutal era in South African history known as Apartheid, the minority-white ruling party forcibly moved millions of black South Africans from their homes to segregated areas, stripping them of their citizenship and reassigning them to tribal Bantu status. But even in the face of this outrageous oppression, South African music thrived. Artists like pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly known as Dollar Brand), and multi-instrumentalist Hugh Masekela gained fame both within the country and beyond. But Ibrahim and Masekela were the exceptions, rather than the rule. Because they both lived and toured abroad, it was easier for their music to get attention. For local South African musicians, operating under the threat of state violence, breaking through to European and American audiences was much harder.

A compilation from 1996 highlighting some of the best hip-hop disc jockeys of the day. Features material from Invisibl Skratch Piklz, DJ Krush, Rob Swift, New Kingdom, Valis, and Bootsy Collins among many. This was released on Bill Laswell's Axiom label via Island Records.

Passage comprised of Louis Johnson, his wife Valerie Johnson and Richard Heath. The tracks 'I See The Light', 'Have You Heard The Word?' and 'You Can't Be Livin' are fine examples of early Eighties soul music. Apart from the Brothers Johnson, there are fine pieces of artistic input from the likes of David 'Hawk' Wolinski, Nolen & Crossley, Rene Moore and Ricky Lawson.

As the lead singers of the Whispers, Walter and Wallace "Scotty" Scott have been two of the more talented singers in R&B. My Brother's Keeper sounds like a Whispers album and that's part of the appeal. By the late '70s, the Scott brothers always surrounded themselves with writers and producers who were tasteful and brought their voices to the fore. In 1993 the brothers decided to take a break from the Whispers to test the R&B waters on their own. On My Brother's Keeper, the Scotts work with a variety of production and writing teams and the results are skilled.

This "Social Justice Disco" album, is a new collaboration between Liz Berlin, founding member of Rusted Root & one of Pittsburgh's favorite jazz divas, Phat Man Dee! This collection of dance music celebrates a message of justice to a groove. Songs include new originals "Jim Crow is Alive and Well", "Fourth Reich Arising" "#BigBrotherIsTrending" and reimagined covers like "Your Racist Friend", "All You Fascists" & "Have You Been to Jail for Justice". We are all one people & we sing for justice!